Anthropology Foundation + Test series

Introduction

– Why choose Anthropology optional
– Overlap with General Studies and essay

Paper I – Foundations

General Anthropology

Biological Anthropology

Archaeological Anthropology

Socio-Cultural Anthropology

Research Methods & Applications

Paper II – Indian Anthropology

Evolution of Indian culture & civilisation

Palaeo-anthropology & demography

Indian social system

Tribes of India

Applied issues

OPSC Add-Ons

– Odisha prehistoric sites
– Tribal profile of Odisha (62 tribes)
– PVTGs of Odisha
– Tribal movements & governance schemes
– Folk traditions & indigenous knowledge

Key Differences UPSC vs OPSC

– Marks per paper
– Mandatory Odisha case studies
– Map-based questions

Preparation Strategy

– Book list & study plan
– Answer-writing practice

Anthropology Optional Syllabus

UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE)

Paper I – Foundations of Anthropology

1. General Anthropology – definition, scope, development; links with life, earth, medical and social sciences.
2. Biological (Physical) Anthropology – human evolution, primate taxonomy, comparative anatomy, genetics, population genetics, human variation and adaptation.
3. Archaeological Anthropology – methods of prehistoric archaeology, dating techniques, cultural evolution from Palaeolithic to Iron Age.
4. Socio-Cultural Anthropology – concepts of culture and society; social institutions (marriage, family, kinship, economy, polity, religion); major theoretical schools.
5. Research Methods & Applications – fieldwork tradition, qualitative-quantitative techniques, statistics, and applied branches (development, health, forensics, IT).

Paper II – Indian Anthropology

Evolution of Indian culture and civilisation (prehistoric to proto-historic).

Palaeo-anthropology and demographic profile of India.

Indian social system: caste, village studies, family, joint family, jajmani, values.

Tribes of India: distribution, economy, religion, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, constitutional safeguards, welfare programmes.

Applied issues: land alienation, displacement, forest policy, tribal unrest, development projects, ethnicity, identity, globalisation, media impact.

OPSC Odisha Civil Services Examination (OAS)

The structure parallels UPSC (two papers) but embeds Odisha-specific content and carries 300 marks per paper.

Paper I – Physical & General Anthropology

Syllabus identical to UPSC Paper I (human evolution, genetics, archaeology, socio-cultural theory, methods, applications).

Paper II – Anthropology of India and Odisha

All India components of UPSC Paper II plus the following Odisha emphases:
– Prehistoric sites: Kuliana, Vikramkhol, Gudahandi, and regional megaliths.
– Tribal profile: 62 scheduled tribes, habitat zones and livelihood patterns.
– PVTGs: Bonda, Dongria Kondh, Lanjia Saora, Chuktia Bhunjia—status and conservation measures.
– Tribal movements: resistance to mining and forest policies, recent autonomy demands.
– Welfare and governance: state schemes, implementation of Forest Rights Act, hostel reforms, mineral-area development funds.
– Folk traditions: tribal festivals, dance forms, wall paintings, indigenous knowledge in agriculture, medicine and forest management.

Key Distinctions

Marks: 250 per paper (UPSC) versus 300 per paper (OPSC).

State focus: UPSC is pan-Indian; OPSC mandates detailed Odisha case studies, map work and policy specifics.